Montgomery County Community College receives grant to help veterans

Ottimo Drywall and Painting worker Andrew Schlesman paints window sills as work is done on refurbishing the “202 House” on the Montgomery County Community College campus that will be used as a Veterans’ Center Wednesday. Photo by Mark C. Psoras\Journal Register News Service

WHITPAIN — A building on the main campus of Montgomery County Community College is being renovated to serve as a Veterans’ Success Center. The new center, opening this fall in the “202 House” next to the Art Barn, will be a comprehensive resource center for student veterans.

The college received a $115,000 grant from the nonprofit Collegiate Consortium for Workforce and Economic Development for the new center.

MCCC serves more than 400 veterans and their dependents, said George Pannebaker, the MCCC academic advisor for veterans.

Veterans who have served since 9/11 can have their tuition paid for through the G.I. Bill, if they’ve served at least 36 months of active duty, said Pannebaker. The student veteran enrollment has more than doubled in the last five years.

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Veterans who have served less time on active duty are eligible for partial tuition reimbursement, depending on the months they’ve served, Pannebaker said. Various benefits are also available for students serving in the National Guard and in the Reserves, he said.

Renovations for the new center, which will include a community area and a classroom, as well as offices, will make it “wheelchair accessible,” said Pannebaker.

More and more disabled veterans are taking classes, he said.

The most popular programs for veterans include business administration, engineering and science, computer networking and criminal justice.

Also many veterans are exploring what they want to do and are in liberal studies, Pannebaker said.

“A lot of former medics want to be nurses,” he added.

Pannebaker, a spent 25 years with the Veterans Administration before coming to MCCC in 2008, said a representative from the VA comes to campus weekly and someone from the state Career Link Center in Norristown comes monthly.

“I talk to the folks about their VA issues and how to connect with the VA and the local vet center,” said Pannebaker. “We’re trying to expand the services we make available to the folks.”

In addition to the new Veterans’ Success Center, MCCC was named a ‘Military Friendly School” for the fourth consecutive year, according to spokeswoman Alana Mauger. The designation is through the magazine G.I. Jobs, which analyzed more than 7,000 colleges, universities and trade schools in the U.S.

There’s also a club for veterans on campus, the Student Veterans’ Organization, which works closely with the Veterans’ Success Center to help students who are veterans access the services that they need, said Mauger.